Right hand OK, Cespedes returns to lineup

BOSTON -- A day after he exited in mid-game with a bruised right hand, Yoenis Cespedes was right back in the cleanup spot for the Red Sox in Friday's opener of an 11-game homestand.

"Yeah, and honestly, he could have continued on yesterday, but for precautionary reasons, we just got him out of there," said manager John Farrell. "We don't anticipate any issues as he goes through BP here today, so he's back in there."

It was good news for a Red Sox team that has started to hit their stride a little with Cespedes as a centerpiece in the lineup.

Cespedes hit homers in the eighth inning on Sunday in Anaheim and Tuesday at Cincinnati to help win games.

"He's gotten some home runs in timely moments," said Farrell. "There's a lot of bat speed, obviously there's strength -- we see that. There's an example of some fearlessness after [Jonathan] Broxton tries to knock him down and he comes back and takes him deep the next pitch. I think he thrives in the moment, in big moments in the game. He doesn't fear those situations. I think he embraces them, and that's played out with the timeliness of a couple of home runs."

Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.